Blurb:IAMOS, S.C.D. 8378Nadin’s planet is dying. As its atmosphere drains away, her people are forced to live huddled in domed cities for protection. With only enough resources to support the population for one more year, time is running out. Nadin thinks she’s found a way to save Iamos, but it will mean defying the planet’s rulers, the geroi—and betraying the geroi could cost her everything.When a strange boy from another world appears out of nowhere outside the citidome’s glass walls, Nadin knows for sure that her plan will work. But to build the device that can save her people, Nadin must first find the legendary city of Elytherios. And to do that, she’ll need the help of the mysterious alien boy named Isaak.MARS, 2073 C.E.

All Isaak wanted was to get through his senior year at the Academy in one piece. Everything would have been fine if he hadn’t found that ancient coin among his missing father’s possessions. The coin seems to have a strange connection not only to Isaak’s family, but to Mars’ ancient past.But how is that possible, on a planet that was supposed to be dead until just forty years ago?Now Isaak’s got agents of the Earth’s government on his tail and a deranged factory worker stalking his every move. Everyone is desperate to get their hands on something called the Key. And the only way to escape is to unlock an even bigger secret, one that could change his life—and the fate of Mars—forever.

The Interview:

I had so much fun coming up with these questions, and even more fun while chatting with Lyssa !

Q1) Can you tell us a little bit about Fourth World?Fourth World, the first book in the Iamos Trilogy, is a young adult sci-fi adventure set on Mars. It follows Isaak Contreras, a high school junior who’s part of the first generation of people born and raised on Mars after its colonization in the mid-21st century. Isaak is struggling to fit in after the disappearance of his dad two years ago, but when he happens to come across a mysterious coin among his dad’s belongings, he gets caught up in a mystery that involves him with government conspiracies, crazed scientists and an ancient door that leads him to another world. There he meets a girl named Nadin, who is looking for a way to save her dying planet. Nadin realizes that Isaak may hold the key to saving her homeworld—and the journey they embark on together just might solve the mysteries Isaak thought he’d left behind on Mars.
Q2) What kind of diversity does this book contain?

The book takes place on a future version of Mars that people from all over the world have had a hand in colonizing. The city that Isaak lives in, Tierra Nueva, is a really diverse urban area somewhat reminiscent of San Francisco. I drew a lot from my experiences growing up near the Bay Area in California, and seeing how much it’s changed over recent years. Even though Tierra Nueva was originally founded as a manufacturing town, in the years leading up to the start of the book, it’s seen an upsurge in wealthier people moving to the area because of growth in the tech industry, so there’s a strong divide between the two “halves” of the city: the wealthy newcomers and the lower-income people who have lived there for years but are now being displaced. Isaak is kind of caught between these two worlds because he lives near the factory district, but he attends the prestigious Academy on scholarship, so he has to exist in both worlds at different times, which can lead to a bit of tension.

Another important part of the book’s diversity is that both my main characters, Isaak and Nadin, fall under the umbrella of asexuality—Nadin is ace and Isaak is demisexual. Even though there’s been a rise (however small) in the number of books available with LGBTQIA characters, asexuality is something that has been incredibly underrepresented, with only a small handful of YA books available with ace characters (and, to my knowledge, only one with an explicitly ace protagonist). As an ace author, changing that is something that’s really important to me!
Q3) Could you explain the difference between Demisexuality and Asexuality in your own words?

Demisexuality is usually considered to fall under the asexual umbrella, but the key difference is that aces don’t experience sexual attraction, whereas demis do experience it, but only rarely and under a specific set of conditions: demisexual people only feel sexual attraction after an emotional bond has been formed. That’s a really basic definition, of course. If you want to learn more, your best sources are going to be demisexuality.org and asexuality.org. Both those sites have more detailed definitions, FAQs and quotes from members of the ace and demi communities that will help you get a better understanding for it!

Q4) Why did you involve two characters with two different sexual attractions?

Part of it is because the characters really demanded it. I found I was having a difficult time writing both Isaak and Nadin until I realized that they were trying to tell me they’d been ace all along. From Isaak’s very specific crush on Tamara to Nadin’s refusal to cooperate with any kind of “standard” YA romance scene, everything made sense after I figured out these basic aspects of their characters.

But another reason is that I wanted to demonstrate that being ace is not any kind of homogeneous experience. Like I said before, asexuality is extremely underrepresented in fiction and especially in YA, and most of the characters that have been portrayed in the past tend to follow a similar pattern. But every person’s experience is different. There are people who are demisexual, people who call themselves “gray-ace”, people who are sex-repulsed and people who are sex-indifferent. And then there’s the differences in romantic attraction, from people who are aromantic and aren’t interested in dating or romantic relationships of any kind, to people who are romantically attracted to one or multiple genders. Yet we tend to keep seeing the same pattern. I wanted people to see that there’s not just one story to be told.

Q5) Sci-fi is almost becoming real life as plans of colonizing Mars are being made; how did this affect/inspire you?

It’s actually what led to the idea for the book in the first place—I came up with the story when I was teaching elementary school science and the Curiosity rover landed on Mars. When I was teaching the kids about it, they asked so many fascinating questions about what life on Mars would be like that it put the whole seed for the book in my head. As I spent the next few years mulling the story over in my mind while doing other things, all sorts of news about Mars kept hitting the headlines: the discovery of liquid water, the rise of the Mars One project, the continuous growth of SpaceX and similar companies like Blue Origin. I did a ton of research before writing the book, and every time a new announcement was made, it spurred me on even more. I followed a timeline that indicates that human exploration of Mars begins in the 2030s, and in all likelihood, it looks like reality might be following that timeline. I’m so excited about that and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
Q6) If you can sit down and talk with one of the people who are going to live on Mars, who would it be?

Meeting any of the candidates on Mars One’s shortlist would be a dream, because they all seem like fascinating people. All of them have such interesting reasons for wanting to go on the mission, I think I would be happy to talk to any of them—especially as they get closer to choosing the final crew for the mission!
Q7) Finally, you decided to go Indie for your debut novel. Is this a pathway that you would like to stick with during your publishing journey, or would you switch it up later?

I'm not sure! Each project is different, and that has a lot to do with it. Going into Fourth World, there were so many different variables that I felt really made it a better candidate for indie publishing, which is why I didn’t even attempt to go traditional with this book. But obviously that won’t be the case for every book. I love the freedom you get with indie, but I think I would like to try traditional publishing at some point, so I can get a feel for both industries. I just have to find the right project that would be well-suited for that environment!

Thank you for answering my questions!

You’re welcome, thanks for having me! :-D

Enter the Giveaway !One signed copy of Fourth World + a bookmark open to US only.

Lyssa Chiavari is an author of speculative fiction for young adults, including Fourth World, the first book in the Iamos trilogy. She’s also the editor of Perchance to Dream, a YA collection of Shakespeare retellings, and the upcoming Circuits & Slippersanthology. When she’s not writing—which isn’t often—you can usually find her exploring the woods near her home in the Pacific Northwest or losing an unreasonable number of life balloons on Donkey Kong. Visit Lyssa on the web atlyssachiavari.com.

When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly … she’s apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers—and, to her dismay, by Blake—the school’s notorious bad-boy.

Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle’s wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.

When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious powers. But the comet has another effect—it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it’s up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town … and possibly the world.

About the author:
​Michelle Madow grew up in Baltimore, graduated Rollins College in Orlando, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida. She wrote her first book in her junior year of college, and has been writing novels since. Some of her favorite things are: reading, pizza, traveling, shopping, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle has toured across America to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.

Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch.

Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school.

Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance.

To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch...will that mean she’s wicked too?

My Review:

I received a review copy of Seriously Wicked from Teen Tor via Net Galley, in exchange with an honest review .

You will be taken on a journey filled with magic and wicked Witches ; you will absolutely enjoy it .

Tina's creativity is endless ! From her weird spell components , to the description of demons, this author will leave you amazed !

This is a story where the girl saves the day, and her crush ! #Finally

My only problem was that the story seemed to be aimed for a more juvenile readers. In other words, it felt more like a MG , rather than a YA, with characters in their mid Teens .

This is not such a negative thing at all ! I just was prepared fora more YAish feel.

I did not realize that this is a part of the series until the end, which made me excited to read more of this series.I can't wait to see what Tina has to show us with her outstanding imagination.

Blurb:On the surface, Chelsea Greer has it all:A loving husband. A nice house.A good job.

In reality, she works hard to maintain the illusion that is her life. She's also missing the most important thing:

Love.

One night could change her life. One night could give her the strength to rediscover what's important. In one night, she could find love when she most needs it and least expects it.

All Chelsea has to do is follow her heart after One Chance Night.

My Review :

I received an eARC of One Chance night from Patchwork Press via NetGalley, in exchange with my honest review .

This is not just about romance; it is about getting a second chance and learning how to make the best out of it.

The character building was on point! I was able to feel Chelsea's distress, Brett's charming charisma, and Wesley's jerkiness . I can rant all day on why I love Brett, and hate Wesley.

Did I mention that is under 200 pages ?? Imagine how ( not so long )it took me to feel all of this ; well because Eliza is a brilliant writer.

The way story was told kind of reminded me of Poison Study by Maria.V. Snyder. Not because of the plot, but because of the storytelling . You have a lot things happening to the main character, but you have no idea why her marriage sucks. You get bits of information along the way, until Boom ! The dramatic reason finally is revealed. The revelation happens much earlier than in Poison Study, but you get what I mean.

The story was really interesting at the beginning, then it kind of dropped a bit , but then it returned to its "really interesting" level by the end .

I did not know that this was a part of a series until I finished the book. I know, it is written on the cover .:D But the ending is not a cliffhanger for Chelsea's story. However, it is an interesting cliffhanger for the series as a whole. I already want to read the second book : Two Pink Lines!

I give One Chance Night 4/5 stars.

Eliza's Pinterest is filled with quotes that are related to her book, country music lyrics that were mentioned in the novel, and Character casting suggestions !

Eliza Boyd is a contemporary women’s fiction and romance author. Also an avid reader, she writes novels, short stories, poetry, and whatever else strikes her fancy. Born and raised in Northern Illinois, she now lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and her plethora of animals. When she’s not reading, writing, or working, she can be found walking around her neighborhood (for exercise, not for stalking), taking photos of her pets, or catching up on her favorite shows. Catching up really means binge-watching

Blurb:A thrilling, futuristic sci-fi novel set in a unique and thought-provoking world, from author Shannon Duffy.

Desiree Six (because she was born on a Friday) believes in everything the Protectorate stands for. She likes the safety and security of having her entire life planned out—her career, her mate, even the date of her death. She doesn't even think to question when Darian, her childhood friend and neighbor, is convicted of murdering his parents. They had seemed like such a loving family. But if he was convicted, then he must have done it.

Then Darian shows up in her room late one night. He has escaped from the Terrorscape—a nightmare machine used to punish all Noncompliants—and needs Desiree's help. What he tells her rocks her world to its core and makes her doubt everything she's ever been told. With this new information, will Desiree and Darian be able to escape the Protectorate before it's too late?

My Review:

I received an eARC of Awakening in exchange with my honest review during the Awakening Blog Tour hosted by YA Blog tours.

Shannon Duffy mixes several popular aspects from the YA culture, and adds her own touch of individuality when she speculates the concepts of sleep,dreams,and nightmares to come with such an entertaining novel to read.

In a world where the protectorate use Fate to decide everything for you, from how many years you live to who you marry ,the so called Utopian world becomes Dystopian !

I absolutely enjoyed reading Awakening. It was a fast read with many elements such as sci-fi technology and romance in it.

The beginning of the book is dedicated to describe the world and a briefing on why has it evolved to become this way. We also follow Desiree, who believes that the system is right no matter what.

Things become more interesting when Darian is added to the picture . What I really like about the romance that it wasn't rushed or overdone . It was just perfect. My favorite line is " I love it when you owe me" ! Tell me if you agree !

I really enjoyed visualizing the Terrorscape ; it was one of my favorite chapters to read. It displayed the author's creativity in the best way possible.

There are some gaps in the story that may or may not be answered in the next book.I also thought that the character building and the ending was a bit rushed. A bit more elaboration would have served the story more justice, but it does not change how this story is a must read.

The world building and the story Awakening has to tell is so thrilling that it might keep you up too late to finish it.

Unfortunately, it ends with a cliffhanger. A very good cliffhanger that I hope will elaborate on the points that were not thoroughly discussed in Awakened!

I really enjoyed Awakened ,and I can't wait to read the next book.

I give it 4/5 stars and a B+ according to my own rating scale.

About the Author

Author of MG and YA books full of adventure. I grew up on the east coast of Canada in the province of Newfoundland and now live in Ontario. I love writing, reading, fashion, fitness, and traveling.

There’s something strange about David, something that goes beyond the way he makes Ellie feel. He’s wealthy, poised, and a complete enigma. With nothing to lose but her heart, Ellie goes in search of the truth—a search that leads her down an eye-opening path that reveals secrets about the world she thought she knew.

The world’s order is held in careful balance, the essence of good and evil tilting the scale. When the fabric of reality is stripped away, Ellie is forced to make a decision to follow the path David’s constructed before her or simply walk away. The Core is missing and someone must step up and stand between the light and darkness, holding each back and maintaining equilibrium.

Kate Thomas, is the author of the upcoming Equilibrium Series, a five-book supernatural new adult series, with plans for a few more series in 2015.

She is a CPA by trade, a church planter and entrepreneur at heart; however, writing and reading are passions she just can't help but indulge in. With more ideas than one person should be allowed, she is blessed to have a muse that doesn't seem to take a vacation and more energy that one might consider healthy.

Blurb:Penemuel (Pen) fell from grace over a millennium ago, yet there are still times she questions her decision to follow her twin brother, Azael, to Hell. Now that the archangel Michael has returned, threatening Lucifer’s vie for the throne, she begins questioning everything she has always believed.

As Hell prepares for war - spreading a demonic virus and pilfering innocent souls to build an army - the lines separating the worlds blur. Fates erase and the future is left unwritten. Azael is determined that he and his sister will continue to serve as demons together, but for the first time in her life, Pen is not ruled by destiny. She has the freedom of choice.

With choice comes sacrifice, and Pen must decide which side she’s willing to risk everything fighting for: the light, or the dark.

My Review:

I received an e ARC of Ignite from Patchwork Press via Net Galley in exchange with an honest review.

I went into this knowing nothing but that it revolved around Angels and Demons''Paranormal". I also heard nothing but good things about it, and watched the author's vlogs and decided that this book must be awesome. And I was right, I enjoyed reading Ignite and here is why!

The writing is, and I am in no way exaggerating this,is magical ! It is just so beautiful, that I plan on getting back to it and rereading in a much slower pace to take in and enjoy the writing more! I am adding Erica Crouch to my list of Authors with Beautiful writing Style,which includes Lauren Oliver,Tahereh Mafi, and A.G Howard!

However, there were times were the descriptions were a bit long and the story was a bit slow.During these descriptions, a concept was repeated a lot. Sometimes it slowed the story,and other times it was what made the story great.

Each character had his/her own little flavor to add to this story. No one is the same, and every character affects and is effected by another one. What I really liked about it is that nothing was rushed. There was not a second where I thought a character's thought were all over the place. In other words, the character building was pretty much well done!

Ignite is more about getting to know the background stories of everyone, and in my opinion, settling the accounts within each character to what they believe and how should they proceed in life.

The Romance here is just spectacular and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I would also love to add that by the end of this book, I was craving more than ever to go back to high school for that 1 hour of literature everyday! Erica's writing seems to be inspired by brilliant authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Robert Frost, two of my favorite writers ever!

The year is 2091. 75 years ago, a nuclear war desolated Earth. The top 2% of the world fled to Hydro, a compound on the Moon. The rest of the population were left trying to survive on a barren Earth.

Seventeen-year-old Blake lives on Earth with his dad and little brother. When Blake’s father is given the grave sentence of terminal cancer, Blake decides to save his dad by sneaking onto Hydro and making a deal with Hydro’s council. In exchange for them saving his dad, he will give them the answer to everyone’s problem; the location of a new habitable planet.

The unexpected and unannounced arrival of Blake leaves many citizens with mixed feelings, none more confusing than those of sixteen-year-old Ziva. The more she learns about Blake and where he comes from, the more she learns that not everything she is being told about the situation on Earth in true, including those told by her beloved grandfather. Why has he been lying to her? And more importantly what is he hiding from her?

My Review:

I received an e ARC of Hydro in exchange with an honest review.

I would like to praise the author for coming up with such fresh, post apocalyptic story. The plot itself has lots of potential, but the writing got in the way.

I had huge problem with Blake's dialogues, he seems to only "order people around". It just makes the the character look a jerk and sound boring if after everything he says, the phrase he ordered follows. Not exactly everything, but a lot !

I found the element of conflicted feelings out of place because no one should convinced that easily over an important matter in only a few lines. If a person is conflicted, that person would stay in doubt for a very long time and would simply change allies that quickly.

Not mention a couple of plot holes in novel.

I think the book was published way too early. It definitely needed 3-4 more rounds of editing to serve the plot some justice.

I am probably not going to stick around for the rest of the series, but I hope that the next book is well edited because it would be such a shame to have such a great idea left unread

Blurb:The Dominion of Atalanta is at war. But for eighteen-year-old Aris, the fighting is nothing more than a distant nightmare, something she watches on news vids from the safety of her idyllic seaside town. Then her boyfriend, Calix, is drafted into the Military, and the nightmare becomes a dangerous reality.Left behind, Aris has nothing to fill her days. Even flying her wingjet—the thing she loves most, aside from Calix—feels meaningless without him by her side. So when she’s recruited to be a pilot for an elite search-and-rescue unit, she leaps at the chance, hoping she’ll be stationed near Calix. But there’s a catch: She must disguise herself as a man named Aristos. There are no women in the Atalantan Military, and there never will be.Aris gives up everything to find Calix: her home. Her family. Even her identity. But as the war rages on, Aris discovers she’s fighting for much more than her relationship. With each injured person she rescues and each violent battle she survives, Aris is becoming a true soldier—and the best flyer in the Atalantan Military. She’s determined to save her Dominion . . . or die trying.

For fans of Divergent, Code Name Verity, and The 100, Rebel Wing is an epic sci-fi adventure that explores just how far one girl will go for love and country.

My Review:

I received an eARC of Rebel wing from Alloy Entertainment via NetGalley in exchange with an honest review .

The beginning of the story itself is a kind of a retelling of Mulan. We follow the story of Aris,a girl who loves to fly and can hardly wait to be promised by the love of her life Calix.

However things do not go according to plan when Calix is chosen to join the Military and leave Aris unpromised. feeling heart broken, she lost her love for flying and when she was offered a chance to join the military as flyer, she takes it.

But women aren't allowed to enter the Military , and entering means being highly fit. Could Aris overcome her fragility and make it in? Will she reunite with Calix? Could she actually fit in and help rescue other people? I know, it sounds kick Ass right?

I loved the transformation that Aris has gone through, which was from being dependent on everyone to being strong enough to stand for what she believes. The Author did that in a very impressive way through out the book.

I was able to connect to how each character was feeling very easily. It was as if I was right there;like I was in their shoes.

This is book that I had a really hard time to put it down. The book was a perfect escape route from my exams. Each reading session left me eager to read more and quite refreshed to carry on with my studying.

I loved this book and I believe that it is going to be one of my favorite series. It has this perfect mix of character development, action, and love.

I give this book 5/5 stars and an A according to my own rating scale !

This is the question Veronica “Ronnie” Billings poses to Phoenix, her sworn enemy, the leader of the Peaceful Revolution, and the one she loves.

Kidnapped by Phoenix’s rebels, Ronnie learns how wrong she has been. She had no idea that her patriotism was wasted on a corrupt government. Ronnie was proud to be a Leader; taking hundreds of harvested girls to the Letting facility. After all, she was saving them from future Couplings and bringing them to the safety of the New World. Or so she thought…

Confused, Ronnie realizes the only way to discover the truth is to trust her heart. Together, Phoenix and Ronnie devise a plan to stop their corrupt government and preempt the dangerous rebel coup which is approaching. But when their plan goes awry, will Ronnie be strong enough to save Phoenix, her country, and herself?

My Review:

I received an ARC of The Letting fro YA bound books in exchange with an honest review.

This book is different than anything I have read lately. It is showing a darker, scarier aspect of how the human race might end up to be. The word Selfish is taken to a new level.

This book is like the story of Elizabeth Bathory , who killed virgins for her youth , with some kick ass plot twist.The story fellows Veronica, who is a legend for sending the greatest amount of Lettings. What is a Letting? Something like getting blood withdrawal ! She used to think that she was serving the society, which turns out to be wrong. She is serving the government, yeah, but since it is a Dystopian novel, then it has to be a corrupted and serving its own agenda.

The only thing i did not like is how Veronica was so desperate to please everyone. She bored out with how everyone who point her previous mistakes, she had the surge to apologize. However towards the end, she seem to have gone through some development in her character, making this book carry some great character development within it.

The world building was great. The way the author captured how simple the camp was and how fancy the houses and people on the other side were is amazing.

The story did not miss the element of Romance. Phoenix, who started as hating and despising her, ended up falling in love with her. However, he did not show it first. he was able to hide it under his previous disgust with what veronica has done in the past. On the Other hand, the person ruling this messed up society falls for veronica. Although he is supposed to be evil, yet the authors finds a way to make you like him at some points.

I did not know that there was a second book until the last page! The book ended with a cliffhanger that haunted me for a couple of days.

I absolutely loved this book and I am looking forward to read book 2 when it come out.

I give The letting 4/5 stars and a (B+) according to my own rating scale.